A HUNT is currently underway for the skipper of a 75 horse-powered outboard motor (OBM) ray boat which hit a father and his daughter who were traveling in a boat near Seghe, Marovo, Western Province last week.
A man in his 50s and his 11-year-old daughter narrowly survived the tragic boat accident on Wednesday evening, 2nd October.
The father was in critical condition after sustaining serious injuries related to the crash.
The incident occurred between 7 and 8pm infront of the Seghe Airport shoreline.
According to initial reports, the father and daughter were traveling eastward from the Seghe Police Station area in a small boat powered by a 15 hp outboard motor (OBM).
Suddenly a 75 hp OBM ray boat, allegedly traveling at high speed, approached from the west and hit their boat.
Although the skipper of ray-boat attempted to swerve the boat, but it was too late.
The impact of the crash forced the father and his daughter to be thrown into the water.
First responded to the incident said the father lost consciousness while holding onto his daughter, who screamed for help.
The driver of the 75 hp boat fled the scene immediately after the accident, leaving the father and daughter to struggle for themselves in the water for several minutes.
The nearby residents who heard about the crash alerted police officers at Seghe, who quickly responded and rescued the pair from the water.
Their boat had capsized during the crash.
The father, who sustained severe injuries, was rushed to Seghe Clinic that Wednesday evening before being transferred to Gizo Hospital on Thursday morning.
Speaking to Solomon Star in an interview, the victim’s wife, expressed shock and heartbreak upon hearing the news.
“I was still at home and didn’t know what was happening until I receive calls from my relatives. This is very heartbreaking and shocking, but it was a miracle that my daughter survived,” she said emotionally in tears.
The father is still under medical observation at the Gizo Hospital’s emergency unit.
He sustained a large wound to his head, injuries to his eyes, and broken lips. He has lost a significant amount of blood. Doctors are still monitoring his condition.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident, and efforts to locate the driver of the 75 hp ray boat are now underway.
This tragic incident has shocked the Seghe community, highlighting the dangers of reckless driving on the water at night times.
By Ulutah Gina
Solomon Star, Gizo
